joth

I was about to ask the same as Russell. We're doing two airtests, at end of 1st and 2nd fix, but the site foreman also did his own test the day before the first official one, just using his industrial vacuum cleaner to pump the air out and feels leaks by hand. Every one we found was in places that would now be impossible to access behind plaster

Thank you @PeterW, my search completely failed to find that. I'll blame their website (again!) Interestingly from what I can find in the MI it seems the smart grid readiness input is identical to that in the FTC 5, a 4 state dry contact input (states normal, recommend on, force on, force off). The difference seems to be FTC6 allows more SW configuration of what exactly those states mean As I was planning to use this feature I guess that means I should try and ensure I'm getting the FTC 6. Cheers

I imagine you mean FTC 5? Ordered in July I'll chase it up and find where we are. We move in in Jan so worst case could get by until next winter before installing it...

Have a look at https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/12813-passive-standard-house-integral-garage/

Yes good point, @Tom had the same thought:

Indeed - thank you for the correction, I did know this, but over abbreviated my comment on it

I seem to recall you keep the tank at a fairly low temp, around 40ºC? The Vaillant can go to over 60ºC which is an alternative option to increasing the tank size. (Obviously it will cost a more to heat because the ashp will run a little less efficiency)

Today's update. Adding a year on the scheme they can now take months longer to issue vouchers, which increases odds people give up waiting and either just pay up front for things they are on a timeline to install, or lose interest (by home owner or the installer) so it never gets done GOV.UK Thank you for applying to the Green Homes Grant Scheme. We are pleased to inform you that the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, that was due to end in March 2021, will be extended by 12 months until the end of March 2022. This was announced today as part of the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. You can find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-homes-grant-extended-for-extra-year. For you as a homeowner who’s applied for the scheme, this means that you have longer to get work done before the scheme ends. Green Homes Grant vouchers will remain valid for three months from the date they are issued or until 31 March 2022, whichever is earlier, and need to be redeemed before the end date on each one. Homeowners can request an extension for circumstances outside of their control. We are continuing to issue vouchers to homeowners whose applications meet the required criteria. You’ll remember that last week we wrote to you to tell you that we are finding many voucher applications are incomplete and require more information in order to be approved. A common reason for applications not meeting the requirements is due to quotes not containing the correct information. The quote you receive from your installer should include: Business name and contact details Company registration and VAT numbers (if applicable) Your name/address/contact details Full breakdown of works, including enabling works (e.g. scaffolding, lowering of the level of ground water) including costs Any guarantee/warranty you will be providing Payment terms (how/when will customer have to pay) How long the job will take (hours) Total price (incl. VAT for domestic customers) Any delivery costs Any deposit needed Details of stage payments (if agreed) Any access needed (e.g. to water/electricity) If your quote does not include all of these things, your application will likely be delayed and you will be asked to provide more information. If you think this could apply to you, go back and check your quote. Ask your installer to provide you with an updated quote and once you have it, email it to customer@green-homes-grant.service.gov.uk along with your voucher ID or grant application reference number. The team will then update your application for you with the new quote and it will be processed. As a reminder, you will receive a separate voucher for each of the measures that you have applied to install. Sincerely, Green Homes Grant Scheme

Welcome to politics.

I've said this many times, but you don't have to be a cynic to think this. It is literally what my friend who worked at BEIS confirmed the goal was -- albeit she used rather different words, something like "To establish and grow the trained professional installer network.". NOT to make cost of ownership lower in the short term. (In the long term it should because of increased supply and market economics -- but that's probably a decade off). It's actually really clever economics: they're using Joe Public to front loans to the industry to fund training, which are paid back by the government over 7 year period. Installers get immediate cash-flow boast to cover their short term surge in training costs; Joe Public get the warm fuzzies for "Being Green" *and* for believe they're getting cash handout from The Man for doing so; government get to spread the cost over >1 political term.

Another option is to use a half-height "drawer" style of dishwasher. You can even put a pair side by side, and stack one while the other is running. Fisher Paykel are most known for this, but looks like there's some other no-name versions available too https://www.fisherpaykel.com/uk/dishwashing/all-dishwashers/?prefn1=configuration&prefv1=Single Drawer https://www.wayfair.co.uk/Klarstein--Amazonia-55cm-EEK-A-Dishdrawer-10028325-10028326-L1053-K~U001182444.html

Yes, Ecodan being the brand name of the Mitsubishi domestic ASHPs https://les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/products/heating/domestic/outdoor

Your point here being you want the worst rating of EPC permissible to maximize the RHI payments, per this ? I believe the snag with that is you need to validate your RHI claim annually, and every time you need to confirm that no material changes have been made to your property that would alter the EPC rating. Now, I'm sure an awful lot of people forget to declare some changes made, but thought I'd flag the wrinkle in the system. (This is one reason why on paper getting £5k in the GHG is preferable to getting that much RHI, as it does not come with the same strings attached, AFAIK. Like "no cooling" requirements. Snag is GHG is a mythical beast that will probably never arrive at all....)

A (Californian) friend has something like this, custom made, in her kitchen. The dedicated veg washing station is her favourite bit, but a trick she used is rather than the (double!) hose tap she used a 'pot filler' tap that can also reach over the hob. This means the largest cauldron pots can be placed on the hob and filled up in-situ, rather than having to heft it into place post-filling. Something like this: https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/kitchen-faucet-single-handle-one-hole-electroplated-pot-filler-centerset-contemporary-kitchen-taps_p7889165.html?prm=1.3.0.6 That is fine for a gas hob, but with the modern trend in induction electric hobs it feels a little dodgy. Obviously the hob surface has to be waterproof whatever.

Right, that's exactly what I suggested you do ?

Wireless booster / mesh tech keeps changing. Having extra wired connections will never go out of fashion and indeed as others are saying will definitely help existing mesh APs work much better, and very likely will continue to do so in future. Ultimately, the wireless bandwidth available in a given building is inherently constrained by the laws of physics (and licensing politics), but wired bandwidth is only limited by the quantity of copper (or fiber) you pull. PS use CAT6, no point using CAT5 these days. New PoE++ spec recommends CAT6A (or at least AWG23 with foil screen)

What purpose is the 25mm PIR serving? In my uneducated mind, it's way too thin to have any value and if you're building a passive house the concrete slab is obviously already very well insulated so why insulate it again?

I think the consensus would be to use a (oversized) buffer tank with an immersion pocket in it for this combined use case ?

Our lighting designer was so focused* on getting all the fixed-location lighting correct she really didn't think there was any point designing or planning for portable lighting too. So odds are, any we do add will be because of changing needs or something we totally overlooked, and by definition will then also failed to put the 5A socket in a useful location for it and I knew it would double stress me out planning location of those sockets and then beating myself up when I inevitably got it wrong. We have a perfectly good ring main with many outlets in every possible useful location anyway, so my thought is to rely on that for "unforeseen" lighting needs. I can control the wifi bulbs perfectly well from Loxone. For the so-called WAF, this means the table lamps can be controlled in exactly the same way as it would be via a 5A outlet, that is to say the same as all the other lights in a room: from the light switch. Or automated from motion, or from an app or by Alexa if that's your thing. But if that's too complex, they can also be controlled from a button on the table lamp too (if needed, by using a dumb bulb plugged into a dumb mains outlet via a dumb switch - I'm sure desk task lighting will still use this method!) so investing in 5A sockets is strictly reducing not adding to the flexibility in control. In my experience of renting out then selling my previous house, no one understood or valued the various dimmed 5A outlets I put in, so installing them for future occupiers / resale value is not of interest to me. This is all just to explain the thought process I went through to reach the conclusions I reached, not to try and persuade anyone else they're wrong. If you find 5A outlets useful, more power* to you :-) * - puns intended

Definitely agree. This is why I'm such a fan of ESPHome (and I expect Tasmota users feel the same). Also agree. all my primary lighting is wired (60 dimmed channels it turns out! how did that happen). it's only the 'portable' lighting that I'd consider using a wireless solution for. (And for that reason decided against any 5A outlets)

Do you need the inline volume control? If not just grab a couple of 3.5mm jack to jack cables and ditch that thing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zerist-Braided-Premium-Auxiliary-Smartphones/dp/B07SZT58P1

For table lights etc why use a relay rather than a smart bulb? The latter has dimming, colour tuning, and (if you care for it) RGB colour change for minimal extra cost.

I heard that they've discovered issues with their new R32 ecodan models so had to stop ship and recall some while it's put right. I've not heard a peep from my supplier/installer about this, so in theory believe we're still on track to install a 8.5kW ecodan first week of December. In reality the tiling may not be ready for plumbing by then, plus any delay gives a bit more chance for the mythical Green Home Grant voucher to be issued so I can manage the stress. We have a couple electric heaters we can use in the meantime. I'm fairly locked into getting the ecodan now as I've designed the 2 zone heating (UFH+Fan coil) around having the FTC-5 controller.

Also look at "euro module" face plates that allow you to mix and match rf45, coax, hdmi, brushplate outlets etc in a single box. I had to get my electrician to upgrade several of the single gang back boxes to doubles e.g. AV and office, as I want to pull a lot more through the box than just one Cat6A cable. Euro modules are available for single double triple and even 4 gang back boxes

How airtight is the house? Our temporary home is incredibly drafty (no MVHR) and the co2 monitor behaves much like yours - high on a still night, low if it's windy